Holiday Heroes
by BlackRose2172
Summary: Christmas time at U.A! The perfect time to be a hero and spread some holiday cheer!


Grey clouds drifted overhead as Izuku pulled his scarf up higher. The forecast had promised snow in the coming hours, perfect for Christmas Candle Celebration. All around him shops displayed festive warm scenes of Christmas with strings of bright lights crisscrossing overhead like stars. He clung to the present he had gotten for his mother and hurried to the shopping center, praying they still had the other gift he needed.

The Candle Celebration was supposed to "Illuminate relations and show that true happiness burns bright" as the flyers stated. There would be a large display where people placed simple round glass candle holders and then signed their names on them. Mostly couples did it to bring luck to their relationship but occasionally families joined in the event. This year the celebration was particularly popular, as he had been unable to locate a candle holder anywhere.

"Please, please, please be here!" He prayed as he stepped into the large opening at the heart of it all. A towering Christmas tree sat in the center of the shopping district, acting as a focal point for all the light strings. Crowds of shoppers bustled around with their packages and Christmas music played on the speakers. On the wind he caught the scent of freshly baked cookies, causing his stomach to growl. "Stay focused!" He scolded himself.

As he pushed through the crowd he almost missed a small yet familiar voice. "E-Excuse m-me! C-Christmas c-c-cookies! B-Baked sweets!" It fumbled. He turned around to see his fellow classmate and resident Gorgon Ryoko standing before a stand brimming with boxes of cookies.

Yet instead of her school uniform she was dressed for the festive occasion, sporting an off the shoulder Santa dress that came to her knees and was complimented with tall black lace up boots and candy cane stockings. Her rich white hair was done with a chain braid along the top of her head acting as a headband. The red ribbon woven through it set off the rest of the hair, which reminded him of fresh snow. Those sparkling blue eyes glistened behind the wire framed glasses as she tried to offer goodies to shoppers.

Izuku found himself staring as the purpose of his mission slipped away entirely. He could feel his cheeks turn red at how cute, or rather beautiful she looked in that moment. That is, until he saw her cheek scales were a light blue, contrary to their usual white. He forced his way to the stand immediately. "Ryoko!" He called.

She spun around and smiled when she saw him. "Izuku! M-Merry C-Christmas!" She stuttered.

"What are you doing?" He asked while she shivered.

"T-The C-Cake S-Shop," She pointed a shaking finger at the little bakery she worked at. "Is h-having a s-sale for the C-Candle Celebration. B-b-but a b-bunch of p-people c-c-called out. It's just Fukimage and I."

"But you're cold blooded!" He glanced at the bakery to see their other classmate through the window. The little shop was brimming with costumers forcing both Fumikage and Dark Shadow to work the counter.

"It's ok-kay. I h-have a heater!" She pointed to the little fire hazard at the front of the booth. He could barely feel anything from it, let along enough heat to keep a person warm.

"How long do you have to stay out here?"

"Till I h-hand these out!" She pointed to the piles of cookie samples. "We might b-be m-m-missing a lot of p-people, b-but I'll d-d- my b-best!" She cheered. A cold wind stirred up causing her to resume shivering.

It was obvious that Ryoko would freeze long before she could even put a dent in the boxes. He glanced down at the present for his mother and thought about his initial mission. The candle holder meant nothing if the intended person became an ice sculpture. "Here." He took off his scarf and wrapped it around her. "I know it's not much, but I'll figure out what else I can do to help!" He promised.

"Izuku..." She reached up and touched the scarf. The warmth made her smile and she buried her chin into it. "Thank you-" She started.

"Oh you want to help? What a lovely young man you are!" A middle age woman appeared wearing an apron and a cunning smile. "I'm sure Ryoko would love to have some help from such a cute friend! We' get you set up with a Quirk permit and an outfit!" She pinched his cheeks. "I know just the costume for you! The ladies are going to eat you up!" She dragged him back towards the bakery.

"W-wait!' He stuttered as he got further away from Ryoko. She yelled something after him but another cold wind cut her off. Yet the concern in her eyes made his heart race. What would become of him?

Ryoko handed out another box of cookies to a young woman. She glanced back at the bakery to see Izuku emerge and their eyes met, causing his cheeks to flush red. Yet the heart felt smile she gave him released all that anxiety. "You look great!'

He looked down at his elf costume, causing the bell on his hat to ring. "You don't think it's a bit much?" He rubbed the back of his head nervously as he avoided her gaze.

"No!" She came closer and fixed his hat. "The green is really flattering on you. Kind of like your hero costume!" She cheered.

"You like my hero costume?" He refocused on her immediately.

"Of course! Haven't I mentioned that before?" She cocked her head.

By now her cheek scales had darkened a few more shades of blue. The scarf had managed to buy her a little more time, but for someone cold blooded it did little against the cold. Once her excitement had subsided the shivering became more obvious.

Izuku stood by her side and took several deep breaths. "Heroes help people in need." He thought to himself. Then he reached out and took her hand in his. It felt like grabbing a block of ice between his fingers. She turned to him in surprise but he spoke with bright red cheeks. "It's fine! You're freezing out here-so this is the least I can do!" He blushed. "It's a hero's job to take care of their friends!"

There was a pause, then she tightened her grip on his hand. "Thank you, Izuku." She gave him a sincere smile. His heart pounded in his chest at his current situation. Candle Celebration be damned, being her with her was the best Christmas present he could ask for.

The two of them resumed handing out boxes of cookies to people. Every so often they swapped hands to help warm her back up. However it was becoming clear that his body heat alone would not be enough to do the job. When he glanced up for his costumer he spotted a miracle. "Wait here!" He told Ryoko before darting into the crowd.

"Shoto!" He called to his friend.

The fellow student turned to him and gave a small smile, then tried not to laugh. "I see you're having a good Christmas." He commented.

"I need your help... well Ryoko needs your help." He started.

Immediately Shoto's expression grew serious. "Is she alright? What happened?" He demanded. Izuku filled him in on the situation and walked him over to the booth.

When he saw Ryoko it felt as if the world stopped. She turned to him and smiled with those beautiful eyes melting him. "Shoto! Merry Chrismas!" She gave him a box of cookies.

It took him a moment to recover as he cleared his throat. "Merry Christmas, but shouldn't you be inside? It's going to snow soon." He replied.

"I s-still have c-cookies to h-hand out." She objected. "And I'm t-tough! I'm a h-hero a-after all!" She assured him, until the wind shattered her tenacity.

Shot sighed, her enthusiasm could be a blessing and a curse sometimes. "I'll be back." He then walked to the bakery and within a few minutes he returned in his designated costume. Both Ryko and Izuku stared at him as he took a stack of cookies. "Stay on my left." He told Ryoko.

She nodded and took her place next to him happily as warm air radiated around him. "Sure thing Mr. Claus!" She giggled. After a few minutes the shades of blue in her cheeks had subsided to a faint tint. "But it fits you well, and at least she didn't make you wear the beard."

"I might have preferred it." He passed out another box.

"Eh? But your whole face would be hidden!" She replied. "No one would be able to see you smile! Santa and heroes always smile!"

Both young men felt their faces go red. Quickly they turned their attention back to the crowd and passed out cookies with renewed enthusiasm. Every so often one of them would steal glances at Ryoko who lit up the night with her smile.

It was not long before another classmate spotted them. "Hey what are you guys up to?" Tenya appeared with a shopping bag under his arm. When his eyes settled on Ryoko blush blossomed across his face and he desperately tried to hide it behind his glasses. "Why aren't yo wearing a coat? It's freezing out here!' He reprimanded. "And why do your costumes match?" He demanded from Shoto.

"This was the only one that fit me." He replied.

"I have to hand out cookies. Besides I have Shoto to keep me warm!" She wrapped an arm around his as Shoto gave her a gentle smile in return.

"Absolutely not!" Tenya crossed his arms. "You shouldn't be risking your health for a job! Where did you get the costumes?"

"Ah, the bakery!" Izuku barely pointed it out before his friend took off. "Wow, it's been a while since I've seen him this fired up." He smiled. When he turned back he saw Ryoko and Shoto still holding hands. A twig of envy went through him- that he had been unable to help her when Shoto could do it so easily. He glanced down at his palm and recalled with smoothness of her hand. "No! Focus! They'll be plenty of time later!" He shifted his attention to the group of moms cooing over his outfit.

Tenya emerged with his temporary Quirk license and fully clothed in a reindeer costume- complete with antlers and a light up red nose. He stood proudly before his friends with cookies in hand. "Remember! We represent the student of U.A. class 1-A! So do your best and be professional!" He instructed. When he turned back to the crowd his voice boomed through the marketplace. "Christmas cookies! Delicious cookies!" He proclaimed.

"Cookie sample! Freshly backed!" Izuku yelled.

"North P-Pole Cookies!" Ryoko stuttered from the cold and her own shyness.

"Cookies." Shoto stated as he handed a father a box of cookies.

"Cookie samples!" Izuku yelled again.

"Deku!" A voice made his heart skip a beat. He turned to see Katsuki with Eijiro not far behind, waving with his usual cheerful smile. "You would humiliate yourself like this?"

"Wait Kacchan..."

"Don't call me that!" He snapped with small crackles forming in his palms.

Tenya intervened. "Christmas cookies!" He shoved a box of cookies into each of his classmates' hands.

"Wow is everyone here?" Eijiro asked as he spotted Shoto. "Even Shoto is working."

This distracted Katsuki who relished in seeing his rival in a Santa costume. "That half and half bastard! Look at him now!"

Shoto glanced over, taking an unintentional sidestep for a better view which revealed Ryoko who as still holding his hand.

All the of Katsuki's rage exploded onto his new target. "What the hell are you two doing?" He demanded as he walked up to him.

"So what exactly is going on?" Eijiro asked.

"Ryoko needed help handing out cookies and won't go inside until it's done. So we volunteered to help." Tenya explained.

A fire lit up in Eijiro's eyes. "Holiday help? Count me in! It's the manly thing to do, helping a friend in need!' He gave a thumbs up.

"The bakery is right over there. They'll get you a costume and a Quirk license for the night." Izuku said.

"Awesome! I'll grab Katsuki and be right back." He assured them. Then he went over to the trio who were starting to attract a crowd.

"You're pretty cocky aren't you?" Katsuki started. "Hands all over our classmate like that."

Shoto kept his hand wrapped around hers. "Keeping a person warm isn't a scandal." He replied calmly.

"My heater broke so Shoto was helping me." Ryoko explained. "Please don't blame him." She gave Katsuki earnest puppy dog eyes.

He hesitated for a moment which was long enough for Eijiro to intervene. "Hey I'm going to help out, after all we'll have more time to hang out once the cookies are all passed out!" He grinned.

Ryoko lit up when she saw Eijiro. "Merry Christmas Eijiro!" She smiled.

He smiled at her and blushed a little at her outfit. "M-Merry Christmas Ryoko!"His cheeks grew to be as red as his hair. "I'll be right back once I get changed!"

"Oh, you'll be assist us as well?" The bakery owner reappeared in an instance. "What a noble young man you are! After all only a heartless monster would let a poor girl shiver out in the cold!"

"I just want to help a friend." Eijiro continued to smile as he grew more pleased with himself.

Tenya rejoined Izuku. "Oh she has him wrapped around her finger." He whispered.

"Oh yeah." Izuku agreed. "Does this feel kind of planned on her part? Do you think she expected us to volunteer?" He asked.

His friend shrugged. "That's a lot to expect. Probably just worked out for her." He held up a box of cookies. "Cookies here!"

"Well how about you get yourself a Quirk card and your costume from inside. I'll help you get set up." She started to led him back towards the store.

"What's a Quirk card?" He asked.

The owner laughed, rather loudly. "A temporary license to use your Quirk while you're in my employment, to help with costumer attraction. So you can be as bold or flashy as you like." She glanced over her shoulder towards Katsuki who had become much more invested in their conversation.

"So you can use your Quirk however you want?" Katsuki asked.

"It it's practical." Shoto commented.

"Shut up you bastard! You're just using yours to get handsy with Ryoko!" He snapped.

"Is it bad to hold hands?" She asked.

"No." Shoto said at the same time Katsuki said yes.

The tension continued to build when Eijiro answered loud enough to get his buddy's attention. "I'm going to change. I'll be right back!"

Katsuki straightened himself to his full height. "I'm in. Don't think I'm losing to you."

"It's a cookie hand out, not a contest." The Santa retorted.

Before Katsuki could snap again Ryoko smiled. "Thank you for helping! I can't wait to see your costumes!"

"It's going to be 10x better that his tacky suit so just watch!" Katsuki promised with his tone calming if only for a moment. Then the two classmates disappeared into the store.

With the tension of the scene subsiding the group was able to pass out more cookies. Izuku and Tenya rejoined their friends. Ryoko went back to the booth to grab some more boxes and started shivering once she left the field of Shoto's warmth.

"I think we're making a dent in the stack." Izuku commented as he joined her on the refill.

"Yes! I can't thank you enough for helping" She said.

"It's not a big deal! Really!" He assured her.

"But you had to take time away from your Christmas shopping. And I know this isn't the most exciting of jobs."

He finished piling boxes in his arms. "But you're our friend, and you've always helped us when we needed it. Besides, holidays are best spent with people you care about." He remarked with his own smiled slowly growing. When he glanced over at her he saw the unshed tears behind her glasses. "Wait! Please don't cry! I'm sorry!" He started.

She laughed and reached up to wipe the tears away. "I'm just... really happy..." She said then fixed her glasses. "This is my first Christmas I get to spend with friends- and it reminds me how grateful I am for everyone I've met in U.A." She lifted a hand over her heart as her expression softened. "Honestly, sometimes I have to remind myself that this is all real."

Izuku rubbed the back of his head, making his bell jingle. "I kind of get what you mean. I always though that being a hero was something beyond my reach. But..." He remembered All Might's gift. "Thanks to a miracle, here I am. And I have been able to meet so many amazing people because of it." Their eyes met and they both blushed before adverting their gaze.

"Out of the way, Deku!" Katsuki pushed past on his way to the cookie trove. The costume he selected was one of the nutcracker prince, complete with a crown.

Behind him Eijiro looked sheepish in his very fitted snowman costume. "Are you alright?" Ryoko asked.

"Yeah... just the sleeves are a little tight." He tried to move his arms. A loud tear filled with air. "Uh... can that be fixed?" He asked.

Ryoko circled around to inspect the damage. "It's an old suit so it was bound to happen sometime." She gave the fabric a tug. "But your arms are a little too big for it. Have you changed something?"

His cheeks matched his hair while she felt his arm. "I've been doing more push ups recently..." He admitted.

"Good for you! It really shows!" She cheered which made him blush harder. "But I don't think these sleeves can be saved, it's too frayed at the tears. If you're uncomfortable you can take it off."

"The cold doesn't bother me!" He assured her. Then there was more ripping as he tore off the sleeves. "Much better!" He flashed his trademark smile causing her to laugh.

Ryoko collected her boxes again. Already the cold had managed to creep its way back, turning her scales a light blue. She glanced around at the bustling people. "Are you thinking of something?" Tenya rejoined his friends to get a refill on boxes. Eijiro did his best to stiffle a laugh at the blinking red nose.

"Just taking it all in. I've only seen scenes like this in movies." A fresh shiver went through her. "I better get back to Shoto!" She excused herself.

The other guys sighed in disappointment. It must be great having a fire Quirk when the girl you like is cold blooded. "The faster we get this done, the less time she spends with Shoto." Tenya reminded.

"Right!" Izuku and Eijiro agreed.

Another half an hour passed as the group handed out cookies. Each person seemed to develop their own crowd of admirers. Izuku was popular with moms and college girls for his 'adorable cheeks.' Eijiro had an army of high schoolers admiring his build. Children clustered around Tenya to bombard him with questions, that he always answered. Even Katsuki caught the attention of various girls, until he lost his temper.

Yet the most popular remained Shoto and Ryoko. Kids rushed to get a glimpse of Santa and collect goodies. Ryoko would smile and many of the male shoppers left with red cheeks. People took photos of the two students in front of the Christmas tree as they worked.

"I don't like this." Katsuki growled. "Those bastards are eyeing her like a piece of meat."

Eijiro handed out another box. "Don't worry, we're right here if anything happens." He bent down to one of the kids. "Merry Christmas!" He stood back up. "Besides, Ryoko knows how to handle herself."

"She knows how to fight, just not when to." Katsuki commented.

"It's not a bad thing to be level headed."

Ryoko returned to the stand once again to collect boxes. "At this rate we'll be done in time for the Candle Celebration!" She smiled to herself. She gathered up a couple of boxes and turned around to bump into a person. "S-Sorry!" She straightened her glasses.

The young man grinned at her and she could smell alcohol on him. "Where's the rush cutie?" He asked. Behind him were a group of his buddies grinning and chatting amongst themselves. "You like kind of cold out here. I know a great little place you could come warm up at." He leaned over.

"I can't. I have cookies to hand out." She stated bluntly.

"I'm sure your friends can manage. Besides, its the holidays and I'm in the mood to celebrate." He reached out to grab her arm.

Without thinking Ryoko grabbed his arm and in one fluid motion twisted it behind his back. Then she realized what she had done and quickly pushed him away, a little harder than she had intended, causing him to crash into his friend. "I'm sorry!" She bowed her head.

The attitude of the group became a lot more aggressive as the man straightened himself back up. "How dare you..." He held up a hand and sparks of electricity crackled around it. He came at her a second time.

Ryoko grabbed one of the model candy canes from the booth and side stepped his clumsily attack. She hooked the crook of the cane around his ankle then yanked his footing out from under him, slamming him into the ground. When she stood up she twirled the candy cane around and readjusted the boxes. "It's not very nice to attack people. You'll end up on the naughty list that way." She said.

He picked himself up from the ground and glared at her. "You little b-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before Katsuki blasted him back down.

The nutcracker prince stood in between the group and Ryoko with a sadistic smile. "This is more my type of celebration." He held out his palms that had started crackling.

"Hey this has nothing to do with you!" One of the guys snapped. He shot a small projectile out at Katsuki.

Eijiro intercepted it, barely phased as it graze off his hardened shoulder. "It's not manly to gain up on a girl." He growled.

Ryoko tried to diffuse the situation. "I'm fine! Everything's okay!" She assured Katsuki as she grabbed his arm to redirect his attention back to her.

"You almost got abducted." He snapped.

"I wasn't going to leave with them!" She replied. Their arguing had gotten the attention of their friends, who decided to assist the situation.

"Full cowling!" Izuku charged forward with Tenya at his side.

The group grew frustrated with the young heroes. "I'll show you brats a fight!" The one guy enlarged his fists and rushed at Eijiro.

He took the attack head with a grin before countering with a hardened fist to the face. The attacker stumbled back and Eijiro closed the distance in an instant, retaliating with a sharp right hook to the face.

"Enough!" Ryoko shouted, her voice echoing off the buildings. Her friends stopped and straightened immediately before turning back towards her.

"Ryoko..." Eijiro started. .

She shoved some of the boxes into his arms and the rest into Katsuki's. "Izuku! Tenya!" Both young men gulped as she called them over. "All of you need to stop! What if someone got hurt here? There are children running around for goodness sake!" She scolded.

"But those guys-" Izuku objected.

"Are small fry! Do you think I'm worried about them hurting me? I rather deal with a little harrassment than risk a civilian!" She pointed back towards the booth. "Finish handing out the cookies."Then she started forward towards the group. "I'm a hero in training, I can clean up my own messes." With that she took her glasses off and tucked them into her dress for safe keeping.

Katsuki grinned. "Oh she's going to have all the fun to herself." He commented. They had fought at the sports festival and despite her mild manner personality she had a ferocity in combat few could rival. It was always a treat to watch her go all out and remind people why she was one of Class 1-A's top students.

Without her glasses a pair of blue dragon like irises sparkled. The first guy that had grabbed her recoiled, recalling the inhuman strength from earlier. "Oh look Mrs. Claus is going to put us on the naughty list." His other buddy stepped up. "Or would you like for me to add you to my naughty list?"

As the words left his mouth Ryoko swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. One of the men who Eijiro had struck earlier lunged with an enlarged fist. She side stepped almost lazily, giving a knee to the stomach that knocked him into the opposite direction. Without missing a beat she grabbed the third member and threw him over her shoulder, slamming his back onto the pavement. As she stood back up the third man tried to shoot a projectile. Her eyes glowed blue and the object froze mid air, as if someone had paused it. She pinched it between her fingers then blinked, unfreezing it so she could safely catch it in her hand.

"Please don't blindly fire, you could accidentally hit someone." She took a step towards him her eyes boring deep into his. Before she could even lay a hand on him he fainted. "Oh I hope he didn't hit his head." She bent down to check his pulse.

The last man standing trembled at the sight before him. "You're a Gorgon aren't you?" He demanded. He had heard rumors about the legendary mercenary tribe but never paid them much attention, save for the detail about having unusually attractive women. But the stories portrayed them as blood thirsty monsters, like the infamous villain Medusa, not some frail looking girl in a Santa costume.

"I am." She answered. "I'm surprised you know about us. The tribe must be getting pretty popular lately." She rubbed the back of her head.

"Gorgons, lizard people with inhuman strength and reflexes... no wonder we didn't stand a chance..." He put his hands behind his back and steadied his breathing.

"Don't let him chit chat just kick his ass!" Katsuki yelled from behind.

She turned back to face her friend. "Don't swear when there are children around! You'll set a bad example!" She scolded.

In the moment she was distracted the man smiled. "But they all have one major weakness to any ice quirks!" He brought his palms forward and sent out a wave of ice.

Out of the corner of her eye Ryoko saw the attack and made the move to dodge but hesitated. If she stepped out of the way she risked exposing civilians to the danger. Crossing her arms in front for protection she felt the ice slam into her. Frost quickly spread across her scales as the heat rapidly fled her body. It froze her boots to the ground and she started to shiver violently as her scales all turned indigo. She watched weakly while Izuku's scarf fell to the ground and her vision started to blur.

"Ryoko!" Izuku stepped forward.

"Come and closer and I freeze her solid! Alright brats?" He threatened. He waited for his buddies to recover then grinned. "I think these little 'heroes' need to be reminded to properly respect adults." The rest of the group collected themselves and seemed renewed with the thought of revenge.

Izuku watched Ryoko shiver. She didn't have much time at this rate. He gave a glance to Katsuki who nodded. At any cost they needed to get her out of that ice. "Eijiro, do you think you can take the first hit and cover Katsuki?" He asked.

"Of course! I ain't afraid of the cold!" He hardened his arms.

"Tenya, you and I are going to go for the guy in the back, make sure he doesn't get a shot off." He said. His friend nodded and readied his engine. "On the count of 3. 1-"

A wall of ice shot past them and encased the troublemakers easily. Shoto calmly walked through his friend group to join Ryoko. He rolled up his left sleeve and set the limb on fire. Pulling her close he melted the froze and she rest her head on his shoulder. "I got you." He promised.

"T-thank you." She curled into his warmth. His hand gently patted her head and she did not object to his touch.

"You half and half bastard!" Katsuki snapped.

Tenya adjusted his glasses. "Thank goodness we had Shoto here." He sighed while Eijiro nodded in agreement.

The crowd applauded the heroism of the group with even more people snapping photos of the Claus couple. Izuku felt a pit form in his chest though he did his best to conceal it with a smile. "Am I...jealous of Shoto?" He thought. But he already knew the answer to his question.

Ryoko looked down at her clothes. The melting of the ice had cause the dress to become wet and would make it more difficult to stay warm outside even with Shoto's help. "I'm going to go inside for a little bit." She nodded towards the store and saw Fumikage getting bogged down at the counter. "Fumikage could use some help."

"I'm sure we can manage out here." Shoto replied. "I'll walk you over." With that he escorted her back to the bakery.

With Ryoko gone Katsuki unleashed his rage on the assailants. "You guys just had to ruin everything with an ice quirk didn't you?" He growled. They cowered in fear as the other friends chatted, leaving the hot head to his own devices.

"Well it was Katsuki's fault she got distracted in the first place..." Eijiro sighed.

"It was his fault the fight got started in the first place." Tenya agreed while another explosion went on behind him.

Izuku collected more of the cookie boxes as Shoto came back to join them. "How's she doing?" He asked.

"Fine. She'll be inside the rest of the night." He assisted with the passing out of holiday boxes. The scene from earlier had caused more people to approach the young heroes. Shoto remained popular as well as Eijiro, much to everyone's surprise.

"You were so brave! Protecting your friend like that!" A young woman cooed over the snowman.

He flushed and tried to laugh it off. "Just doing my job!" He grinned.

Izuku smiled then looked at the bakery. Ryoko was helping Fumikage at the counter and from what he could tell the pair were engaging in animated discussion as she laughed while he smiled at her. He continued to watch she too glanced out the window. Their eyes met and then they both blushed. "Why is she so cute?" He thought.

After after half an hour of passing out cookies Ryoko emerged with a platter of hot chocolate. She went to each guy with the gift and had a pleasant conversation with them, even Katsuki. "Don't stay out here too long, I don't want Shoto trying anything." He growled before taking a sip.

"What would Shoto be trying to do?" She asked innocently as she fixed her glasses.

His cheeks grew pink and he quickly finished his coco. "Just take care of yourself. Otherwise you'll make people worry about you."

Eijiro lit up when she came up to him. "Awesome!" He took the cup with shaking hands. "Not that I'm cold out here or anything! Just... enjoy a little treat now and again!" He assured her.

She laughed. "I love a good cup of hot coco, it feels like it warms my soul."

"Exactly! Perfect for tonight!" He then blushed. "Speaking of... you looked great tonight... I mean not the being cold part!" He turned several deeper shades of red.

"Thank you! You look really cool in your costume. I think I like it better without the sleeves."

His cheeks went bright crimson. "Here, let me finish with these cookies and I'll be all ready to talk!" He rushed into the crowd with new determination.

"Thank you for this! But you should really be inside!" Tenya scolded. "What if you collapsed or froze out here?"

"I'm sorry, you just looked so cold!" She admitted.

"Don't worry about us, after all we've been through worse." He said then saw her disheartened expression. "But I appreciate your kindness, you truly have the heart of a hero."

The smile she gave him could have melted all the snow in the city. "Thank you Tenya! You really are a great friend!"

Shoto calmly took a sip from the cup. He watched several of the marsh mellows float around. "Cinnamon?" He asked.

"You guessed it! It seems to make it... warmer somehow." She smiled.

"Thank you, this is really refreshing. Are you feeling any better?" He asked.

"I'm fine now! The ovens are keeping me warm inside!" She assured him. "But I hope you guys stay warm out here."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." In the background he heard Katsuki snapping at a shopper. "Most of us anyway." Then his cheeks grew red as he took another sip. "Ryoko..." He started.

"Yes?" She asked with bright eyes.

All courage fled him in that moment and he shifted the question. "You wanted a Christmas cactus... right?" He had to advert his gaze.

Her whole face lit up. "You found one?" She asked in excitement.

"I'll bring it to class. Just wanted to let you know."

"Thank you Shoto! You're the best!"

The last person she visited was Izuku. "Here, think of it as a thank you present." She smiled and placed the coco in his hands.

"Thank you!" He took a big sip, feeling the warmth reach into his soul. "This is fantastic!"

"It's the owner's secret recipe, but I always add a little bit of cinnamon. Don't tell anyone, okay?" She winked.

"I promise." He looked down at the creamy beverage. "Ryoko..." His heart pounded and his cheeks began to grow warm. "Are you free tonight... after work?" He asked, tapping his fingers on the sides of his mug.

"Unfortunately, I have plans. But I would be happy to do something another night!" She promised.

His hopes quickly shattered in his head of the Candle Celebration. "Sure! We can do something later!" He lied. She then collected his cup and returned to the store. His shoulders sagged while she returned to his previous task. "It's not like I was even able to find a candle for the event."

By the end of the hour the group was getting towards the end of the cookie pile when the owner came out. "You lads have done such a wonderful job, I should have hired Ryoko's friends earlier!" She laughed. "But in seriousness once you finish with the last of the boxes you can leave. I've already dismissed Fumikage and Ryoko for the evening."

"Ryoko is off now?" Eijiro asked.

The group watched their classmates exit the bakery. Ryoko had changed in to her usual clothes and a long white jacket with a hood and thick white furry lining. She waved to her friends and they noticed the packages that she was carrying. A very nicely wrapped Christmas present and one of the candle holders for the celebration. She wished them a merry Christmas then started walking with Fumikage.

"Are they dating?" Tenya asked the question everyone was thinking aloud.

"That's the direction of the celebration..." Eijiro said.

Izuku stared at his box of cookies. Neither of them had mentioned they were dating and Fumikage didn't look like he had a present with him. Maybe he was just taking the opportunity to walk with her or was waiting for the celebration to tell her. He clenched his hand into a fist then stood up. The holidays were about letting people know how important they are to you, and he couldn't let his doubts stop him. "Cookies! Christmas cookies!" He rushed up to people with renewed energy. The owner said he could leave once the cookies were gone and he couldn't afford to lose more time.

Eijiro picked up on the urgency first. He approached a family and doubled up on the samples he was handing out. "Merry Christmas! Be good!" He said as he hurried along.

Tenya ran through the crowd at break neck speed placing the boxes in shoppers' bags. Even Katsuki used his quirk to get him over the crowd where he rained down boxes of cookies unto unsuspecting people. "Happy Holidays!" He said sharply.

Within minutes the cookies were all gone and the group rushed back into the bakery to change. The owner gave them each an envelope with their earnings when they returned the costumes. "Remember, those Quirk card are good until midnight. Have a wonderful night!" She winked with a playful grin.

Izuku was out the door first by some miracle. "Full cowling!" He took off running. The celebration would not be too far from the bakery and if he took a few short cuts then he could get there before it started. He heard footsteps behind him and saw that Tenya had the same idea and was catching up. "I'm not losing here!" He quickened his pace.

A loud explosion came from behind as they knew that Katsuki made it out of the store. There came another explosion as the young man ran along the rooftops when necessary. "Stay out of this Deku!" He snapped.

"I'm just going to sit by for you when I have something I want to fight for!" He retorted. The two broke off into a neck and neck race.

Eijiro and Shoto were the last out of the store. Eijiro had a difficult time getting out of the tight costume, resulting in the tearing of the rest of it. He was grateful that Shoto assisted him in the escape but now had to treat his friend as a rival. He took off towards the celebration. "At least Shoto isn't as fast as the others!" He thought to himself with a smirk. No sooner had he finished that thought did his feet slam into the ground and refused to move. "No way!" He saw the ice that locked him into place.

"Sorry Eijiro." Shoto passed by him. "It'll thaw soon."

"Not fair man!" Eijiro struggled against the ice. He then hardened his fists and chipped away until he could force himself free. "I'm going to be late!" He cursed as he ran full speed after her.

Katsuki and Izuku arrived first to the square where the celebration was being held. They scanned the crowd to see Ryoko still with Fumikage. "Ryo-" Izuku started when Katsuki blasted him back.

He stumbled for a moment before sprinting forward, now was not the time for hesitation. "Ryoko!" He passed by Katsuki as she turned to him. Unfortunately he came in with too much momentum causing him to slam into her.

They tumbled to the ground as he landed on top of her, their faces barely touching. "I-Izuku!" She blushed. His eyes met hers and before he could speak someone yanked him off.

"Deku!" Katsuki snapped with palms crackling.

Fumikage helped her to her feet. "Are you guys here for the celebration?" He asked calmly. As he spoke Tenya joined them with Shoto and finally Eijiro not far behind. "And now everyone is here." He commented.

"Be honest with me Fumikage," Tenya stepped forward. "Are you two dating?" He asked bluntly.

"Ryoko!" Another voice called. The group turned to see the girls from 1-A approach, each carrying a gift.

"There you are! I was worried you were going to be late!" Momo gave her friend a hug.

Ryoko returned the gesture. "I thought I was going to be, but thankfully everyone volunteered to help!" She pointed to the guys. "Tonight was a huge success!"

"Wait... what's going on here?" A very confused Eijiro asked while the girls exchanged the presents they brought with each other. "You two...aren't dating?" He asked Fumikage.

The crow student shook his head though his cheeks were rather pink. "Ryoko invited me to tag along though since I was going this way anyway." He watched Tsu open the present Ryoko got her with an excited smile. "Plus it's nice company for the holidays."

"Oh, since we have everyone here!" Ryoko pulled out the candle holder and the sharpie. "We can all sign our names! To bring good luck to 1-A!" She smiled.

"I love it! Me first!" Mina exclaimed.

Everyone took time to write out their names and then she turned to Tenya. "Would you like to do the honors since you're class rep?" She extended the candle holder to him.

He puffed himself up with pride. "Of course! It would be my honor!" He walked over to the display and place the candle holder proudly on the shelf. The group watched it glow brightly along side the others as a symbol of their friendship.

Izuku watched Ryoko who caught up with the rest of their classmates. He might not have been able to tell her, but at least he could be happy with her on this night. She caught him staring and approached, reaching into her pocket then pulled out his scarf. "Thank you, for letting me use it, and for everything tonight." She wrapped the material around his neck.

"Of c-course." He grew pink. "It's been a great evening, and this celebration... I hope it brings lots of luck to our friends." He changed the subject.

"Yeah! To a good year at U.A! And to becoming heroes!" She cheered.

"Guys!" Mina interrupted as she waved her phone around. "Look at these pictures! You were part of a contest!" She scrolled through Instagram.

At some point in the evening the owner of the bakery snapped photos of all of the guys in the costumes with Ryoko. There was Katsuki's nutcracker costume as he defended her from the creeps, Eijiro in the snowman uniform while Ryoko adjusted it for him, Izuku as an elf while they passed out cookies, Tenya chatting with her, Fumikage and her decorating cookie from earlier in the evening, and finally Shoto as Santa with Ryoko in his arms after the ice incident.

"Who won the contest?"Tsu asked.

All of the guys exchanged a look as Mina scrolled through the results. "The winner is-!"


End file.
